Path Towards Tomorrow
by Rhiannon Runa
Summary: One Piece AU. People always want to adopt Luffy, not Ace and never them together. For three long years this has been the case until a very wealthy man offers to adopt them into his very large family. What will tomorrow bring for these brothers and their new family?
1. Chapter 1

**Path Towards Tomorrow**

 **Summary: One Piece AU. People always want to adopt Luffy, not Ace and never them together. For three long years this has been the case until a very wealthy man offers to adopt them into his very large family. What will tomorrow bring for these brothers and their new family?**

 **My first fanfic, please review and I hope you enjoy. This is a One Piece AU that's loosely inspired by the 1982 film "Annie."**

 **Disclaimer: One Piece is not mine.**

Chapter 1

Backside throbbing from its latest run in with Dadan's less-than-gentle—and very large—hand, Luffy joined his older brother, Ace, and several other boys huddled together in the tiny backyard filled with dead grass and prickly weeds. Curious, and wanting to completely forget about his most recent spanking, Luffy wiggled his way into the group.

"What'cha guys doin'?"

A newspaper was unceremoniously shoved into his face, courtesy of his big brother. "Says here that Edward Newgate, that really rich old guy, is interested in adopting a kid. He's been going around to all the nearby orphanages."

"Rumor has it he's a mafia boss or something like that," one boy supplied.

"That's not what I've heard. I've heard Newgate was a treasure hunter and stole treasures from old shipwrecks," another put in rather smugly.

Either way, it immediately sparked Luffy's imagination and his eyes grew wide. It sounded so exciting to the six-year old.

"Wow! Do you think he'll come here, Ace?" Luffy turned his wide eyes onto his brother, sounding just a tiny bit hopeful. Mostly out of his desire to meet such a cool sounding man.

Ace snorted loudly, rapping his brother lightly on the head with the newspaper. "Ha! Fat chance he'll ever set foot in this place. We're in one of the poorer neighborhoods remember? This guy's pretty damn rich which means, bonehead, he'll probably want a kid from a nicer orphanage than this shitty dump."

"Oi, Ace, careful what you say. Dadan probably won't like you calling this place a dump," Usopp, a kid with dark curly hair and an amusingly long nose, whispered through the side of his mouth. Just a year older than Luffy, Usopp had become one of Luffy's closest friends not long after his social worker dropped him off. Luffy especially enjoyed Usopp's exaggerated stories even if none of them were true, as Ace had to point out to his younger brother every single time.

Ace whacked Usopp in the stomach with the newspaper. "I don't really give a damn about what that old hag doesn't like. Besides, it's the truth, this place is a total dump and I hate it here. Soon as I turn eighteen, me and Luffy are ditching this place forever."

"That's five years away. A lot can happen between now and then, though," Usopp told him with a thoughtful frown on face. "Something like, I don't know, you guys being adopted."

"Hmph! Yeah, right. No one wants to adopt us _together_ ," Ace stressed, glaring. "Anytime someone comes in looking to adopt, they always just want Luffy not the both of us together. I'll be damned if I let anyone separate the two of us."

Luffy hugged his brother tight. He felt the exact same way.

As much as Ace might say otherwise, only Luffy knew how much it really bothered Ace that no one ever wanted to adopt him. Ace confided once to Luffy he had an idea as to why no one wanted to adopt him too. His age. Apparently, couples were not interested in adopting older kids like Ace. It explained—in Ace's eyes—why couples gravitated towards Luffy who was six and still in that adorable childhood stage.

A stage Ace had long since grown out of.

Some part of Luffy believed that to be the truth, however, another part of him imagined it was because the right person(s) had yet to show up. This he never told Ace. He figured it'd only upset Ace if he did mention it.

"You never know, it might happen," Usopp ventured only to be shoved to the ground by an angry Ace. "Hey!"

"Shut up, Usopp! It won't ever happen! I've been here long enough to figure that out!"

Ace stormed off immediately afterward. Before hurrying to follow his brother, Luffy helped his best friend up back to his feet, grinning apologetically as he did so. He didn't want his best friend to hate Ace. "Sorry about that, Usopp. You know how Ace gets whenever we talk about _that_. He'll cool off and then he'll be back to say he's sorry too!"

Luffy waved back at his friend encouragingly as he hurried to catch up with Ace who, by this point, had reached the sidewalk in front of the house.

Once he managed to catch up to his brother, the brothers walked in complete silence for three blocks until Ace stopped suddenly and exhaled through his mouth. The walk had helped him to cool down. Dropping his hand down onto Luffy's shoulder, Ace gave it a light squeeze. "Sorry for yelling at Usopp like that and knocking him down."

Luffy immediately grinned happy to hear his brother was sorry. "I don't think he's all that mad about it, but you should tell him you're sorry too, Ace."

"I promise I will," Ace glanced around them, his eyes landing on a couple walking hand in hand with their two kids across the street. They were happily chattering away with one another with big, happy smiles on their faces. The sight sent a sharp pang through his chest. If it wasn't for him, Luffy would have that right now. Would know what it's like to have loving parents and grow up in a warm home. Guilt ridden, Ace swallowed back the lump in his throat as he gently brushed a hand across the top of Luffy's head. "Luffy, do you hate me? It's my fault you haven't been adopted."

Luffy looked aghast that his brother would even think that. He'd never hate his brother. Never. "No, Ace! I don't hate you! Why would I? You're my big brother and I don't ever want to be taken from you. Never ever, ever, ever," he clung to his brother, burying his head into Ace's jacket. "You're all I got, Ace. Please don't let anyone take me from you. Please, please, please!"

Face becoming bright red from all the stares directed their way, Ace gingerly patted his brother on the back before gently pushing him away. "We won't ever be separated, Luffy, I promise," he reassured, face splitting into a wide grin. Luffy did the same. "Come on, Lu. Let's go get some candy or something from that new store that opened up on Seventh Street."

"Cool!" Luffy shouted, hopping about in an excited little dance that made Ace laugh under his breath. The youngest stopped suddenly mid-dance as a thought occurred to him. Wide, brown eyes settled on his brother. "But, won't Dadan be mad that we're not home doin' our chores?"

"Like I said before, I don't really care what Dadan thinks or says," snorting, Ace nudged his little brother into a walk. "She doesn't care about us anyway. Just uses us as free labor to keep the place cleaned up, not that it does any good since it's a shit hole to begin with. Anyway, forget about Dadan and let's go have some fun, alright?"

"Okay! Can we bring back candy for everyone else?" Luffy asked eagerly. Since the rest of their friends weren't with them, and because it might help smooth things over with Usopp, Luffy figured it'd be nice to bring back some candy to everyone. Because, in his mind, candy made everything all better between friends.

"We'll see. Come on, I'll race ya there!"

The brothers broke into a run. Matching grins plastered onto their faces as they raced, almost neck and neck, to the store. In that moment, neither of them had any idea that come tomorrow their lives would change forever.

 _-xxx-_

On his way home from running several errands for Pops, Marco stopped at a convenience store to pick up a little something to snack on. A cup of coffee sounded nice too. As he pulled into an open parking space, he noticed a police cruiser parked in front and several people crowded just outside the doors. Something must have happened.

Curious, Marco stepped out of his car, locking it behind him, then walked up to the people standing about. He tapped the person's shoulder closest to him. "Hey, what's going on?"

The elderly man pulled a wry face as he turned to answer Marco's question. "Some kids were caught stealing. They're giving the officers a bit of a hard time—oh, looks like they've got them."

The doors swung open as two police officers stepped outside. One forcefully shoved a freckled youth who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, possibly fourteen, ahead of him while the second officer carried a small, clearly frightened child. The boys looked so much alike Marco automatically assumed they were brothers. It irked Marco to see the older dark-haired boy in handcuffs.

Twisting in the officer's grip the older boy shouted, "You bastards better not hurt my brother! I'll kick your asses if you do."

"We're not going to hurt him, kid. Now stop struggling and get in the car."

From beside him, Marco heard a woman mutter, "Should've known it was those troublemakers again."

"You know those kids yoi?" Marco asked her.

She nodded absently at him. "Most people who live in the area know them. They're wild brats and have been caught stealing from several other businesses around here."

"Now, now, they can't really be blamed since they don't have any parents to teach them otherwise," the elderly man interjected. He glanced back at Marco. "Those kids are orphans and live in a nearby orphanage run by a bear-like woman named Dadan I believe. It's rather sad when you think about it."

"Yeah," Marco agreed, watching as the police cruiser pulled away. "It is. Mind telling me where this orphanage is yoi?"

 _-xxx-_

Coffee in hand, Marco knocked on his father's door before entering the spacious office. A triumphant smile on his face. "Pops, I think I've found some kids you might be interested in adopting."

From where he sat in front of a large, bay window, Edward Newgate turned yellow eyes to his eldest son. "Really?"

"Really. They are living in this orphanage run by a woman named Dadan," he handed his father a scrap of paper with an address written on it. "I've already called ahead and made an appointment to visit tomorrow around noon yoi. Is that alright, Pops?"

"Yes, thank you. You're an excellent assistant, Marco."

"I try my best yoi."

Newgate smiled fondly at his son.

His gaze dropped down to the address Marco had written down—he recognized his son's handwriting easily—and released a quiet sigh. "I hope you're right. I'm not getting any younger here, and this is taking much longer than I anticipated."

"I know, Pops. But, I honestly believe these kids will be the perfect fit," Marco reassured him.

Tomorrow, they would discover whether Marco's words held true or not.

 _-to be continued-_


	2. Chapter 2

**Jeez, this turned out to be a long, long chapter—over 3,000 words, holy crap! But, here it is, and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I make no promises that future chapters will be as long.**

Chapter 2

"We're all finished, Dadan," Ace grumbled, walking into the kitchen where he found Dadan sipping on her second cup of coffee. Quite smugly, he might add. Luffy—poor, tired Luffy—trailed behind his older brother.

Dadan glanced at the clock hanging above table. "Already? It's only noon."

"So? We finished early."

"Right," she eyed them with disbelief. "I bet you two slacked off somewhere or just covered up whatever you didn't want to clean."

"We didn't, you hag!" Ace shouted, going red in the face with anger.

"Everything's all clean, Dadan!" Luffy frowned up at their caretaker.

Dadan ignored their angry outbursts as he stood up from the table. "We'll just see about that," she left the kitchen to inspect the rest of the house while the boys stood there waiting until she came back. Dadan returned several minutes later. A surprised expression on her face. "Alright, I'll admit you boys did a pretty good job cleaning up."

Ace and Luffy shared a grin. "Can we play with everyone at the park now?" Luffy asked. He forgot all about his earlier exhaustion at the prospect of playing at the park with Usopp and the others.

Dadan nipped it in the bud quickly with, "Hell no! You brats are grounded, remember?!"

"Oh. Yeah," Luffy's shoulders slumped.

"Maybe this will be a lesson to you about stealing."

"Well, maybe if you fed us more we wouldn't have to steal," Ace countered, temper rising.

"What'd you say, Ace?! I make sure you brats eat!"

"Luffy's too skinny and he's always hungry!"

Dadan's face grew redder. "I can't help that you and your brother don't have normal appetites! If I let you eat as much as you wanted, we'd be out of food in a couple of days!"

"Why don't you ship us off to another orphanage then, hag?!"

"I might just do that, brat!"

Any further arguments were cut off by the doorbell.

Dadan suddenly cursed. "Damn, I forgot all about them coming by today, and none of the other kids are here," she looked them up and down, sighing as she did so. "I guess you two will have to do."

"What're you talking about? Who's here?" Ace asked as whoever was at the door rang a second time.

"A potential adopter."

Ace froze on the spot. His gaze shot over to where Luffy stood glancing between his brother and Dadan. "Lu, let's—"

Dadan cut him off. "Don't you even think about running off with Luffy again, brat. Listen to me, Ace, it's not fair to keep pulling this shit on Luffy. He deserves to have parents and you're denying him that by running off with him or by scaring potential parents away."

The doorbell rang a third time.

"Luffy, answer the damn door!" Dadan shouted at the small boy.

Luffy, however, hesitated and instead turned towards Ace in askance.

"Now! Luffy!" Dadan snapped at him.

That got Luffy moving. He darted through the kitchen towards the front door—where the person rang a fourth time—and gave the handle a twist, pulling it open to reveal two men standing outside on the porch. Both men smiled down at him, though, it was the younger man sporting a blonde fringe—it reminded Luffy of a pineapple—who spoke first.

"Hi there, kiddo. Is a Miss. Dadan at home?"

Luffy giggled at that. No one had ever called Dadan 'Miss' before and it amused him to hear someone call the bear-like woman that. Pushing back his giggle fit, Luffy answered with a quick nod of his head. "She's here. Who're you? Are you guys here to adopt?"

The men shared a quick glance. Then the younger of the two crouched down to Luffy's level. "I'm not, but my boss here is," he indicated the older man with a nod. "I'm Marco and the man with me is Edward Newgate—"

"Oh wow! You're the mafia pirate guy!"

Stars practically flew from Luffy's eyes as he gazed up at the tall. Mr. Newgate and Marco raised their eyebrows at the child's declaration.

Before, however, either of them could refute the claim or say anything, for that matter, Luffy grabbed a hand each and tugged them across the threshold with all his might. At the same time, he shouted out at the top of his little lungs, "Ace! He's here, he's here! He really came! Look!"

"Who's here, Lu?" Ace asked, coming into the living room. Dadan a step behind him.

"It's the guy from the newspaper!" Luffy announced, excitedly slamming the front door closed then darted back around to stand in front of the guests. He beamed up at them.

Ace went slacked jawed, but quickly recovered by telling Luffy off for openly staring. "It's rude," Luffy yelped when Ace lightheartedly bonked him over the head.

"I'm so, so sorry, Mr. Newgate. You came all the way out here to meet the kids and they aren't home. Except these two," Dadan jerked a thumb in Ace and Luffy's directions. The boys stuck their tongues out at her.

"Gurararara, it's quite alright. These two seem interesting enough."

 _ **-xxx-**_

After a rather quick tour of the house—with a chatterbox Luffy serving as their guide while an apprehensive Ace closely dogged their heels—their adorable guide led them his and Ace's room. Apparently, he saved the best for last.

"And this is mine and Ace's room!" Beaming, Luffy opened the door for them before rushing over to the only bed in the room and springing upon it. "Shishishis, isn't it cool?"

Marco and Newgate carefully stepped into the room. It was tiny. The tiniest in comparison to the other three bedrooms Luffy had previously shown them. One single full-sized bed pushed against one wall and a single chest of drawers opposite of it took up most, if not all, the majority of the room. Shelves, cluttered with various books, some tattered toys and two trophies covered in dust, hung directly above the chest of drawers. Several suspiciously fist sized holes dotted the blue painted walls. It seemed someone had a temper. Marco and his Pops instantly suspected the older brother, but made no mention of it as they complimented the boys' room.

"It is a cool room yoi," Marco told Luffy. "I like the color."

The boy grinned at him, plopping to sit cross-legged on the bed. "Thanks, Mr. Marco."

"Just call me 'Marco' yoi."

"Okay, Marco!"

"It's a bit small, though," Newgate openly noted. "You two share a bed?"

"We do!"

"So?" Ace challenged as he sauntered past them to sit on the bed's edge.

Ace might have grimaced when his brother suddenly lunged against his back, but the older dark-haired boy didn't shove Luffy away like Marco and Newgate thought he'd do. Typical brothers and all that. Instead, Ace let his brother wrap skinny arms around his neck and continued to sit there, glaring up at them.

"You don't mind sharing a bed with your little brother?" Newgate asked.

The freckled youth shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. We've been sharing a room since he was a baby."

"Sharing a room is one thing, but having to share a bed is another thing entirely," Newgate pointed out. "There's a spare bunk in the other room, why doesn't he sleep there instead?"

"Because I like sleeping with Ace, silly. It makes me happy!" Luffy laughed.

"You heard my bratty brother, it makes him happy."

"Hey! I'm not a brat!" Luffy huffed, tugging on the back of Ace's shirt in annoyance.

"I suppose that's a fairly good argument," Newgate said, eyes crinkling as he smiled down at them. To change the subject he asked, "How long have you two lived here?"

"Since I was ten and Luffy was three," Ace's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't even ask about our parents. It's none of your damn business."

A sensitive topic. Newgate figured as much. He waved away Ace's concern with one large hand. "I had no intention of asking about your parents, Ace."

Many of the men working under him he called his 'sons' came from similar backgrounds where they, like Ace and Luffy, had no parents to speak of or their parents had abused them at some point in their lives. So, Newgate understood why Ace didn't want to talk about his and Luffy's parents. He subtly glanced at Luffy, noticing how the younger boy's arms tightened around his brother's neck. Smile gone from what the men came to suspect was a usually cheerful face.

"However, I did want to know if you boys liked living here?"

Ace scoffed at the question. "Who would? Dadan is a pain and it sucks living here, but it's not like we'll be stuck here much longer?"

Both Marco and Newgate raised an eyebrow at that. "Why's that yoi?"

"When Ace is eighteen, we're gonna leave," Luffy blurted aloud before his brother could even form a sentence.

"Is that so? Don't you two want to be adopted?" Newgate asked.

"That'd be so cool, but if Ace isn't gonna be adopted then I don't wanna be adopted either. I don't wanna lose my big brother," Luffy frowned up at them.

Newgate shared a look with Marco. The blonde-haired man smiled, knowing exactly what that look meant and watched as his Pops knelt in front of the boys. A warm smile expression on his face.

"What if someone were to adopt both you and your brother?"

"It'd be awesome!" Luffy grinned and Ace scowled, "Like it'll happen, though."

"How would you like to become my sons then?"

Ace's eyes nearly bulged from his head and he opened his mouth to say something, but all that he managed to get out were a jumble of unintelligible sounds.

"Y-you want to adopt me and Ace?" Luffy peered at Newgate with wide, brown eyes.

"That's right, Luffy."

"You really mean it?" Tears started to well up in the youngest's eyes.

"Gurarara, I really mean it, kiddo."

That really got the floodgates going. In a flail of limbs, and tears streaming down his face, Luffy hugged his older brother as tight as possible before launching into a surprised Newgate's arms.

From where he stood leaning against the wall, Marco had to hold back his own tears as he looked on with a happy smile of his own.

 _ **-xxx-**_

In the car on their way back to the mansion, Whitebeard chuckled thoughtfully as he thumbed through the large stack of paperwork Dadan had given him.

"What's funny yoi?" Marco asked, not taking his eyes from the road ahead.

"It certainly is a small world, Marco."

Marco raised an eyebrow, not at all understanding. "What do you mean by that, Pops?"

"Ace and Luffy D. Gol. Their father, Roger D. Gol, I knew him. Actually, we were friends before we lost touch."

"Seriously yoi?" That was certainly an interesting tidbit of information.

"Yeah. And you know what else, Marco?"

"What?"

"The last time I spoke to Roger he mentioned his son, Ace, and told me how happy he was to be a dad," Marco heard his Pops sigh sadly. "When you first told me about these kids I never once imagined that this Ace as Roger's son or that he had a second child. That's why it's such a small world, Marco. I'm adopting my old friend's sons. Think I should tell them?"

Marco bit his lip, shooting his Pops a furtive glance from the corner of his eye. "I don't know, Pops. Ace, and Luffy, too, didn't seem to want to talk about either of their parents. Might want to avoid telling for the time being."

Newgate nodded in agreement. "You're probably right. I'll wait and tell them once they've opened up a bit more."

"Definitely a good idea. If you mentioned it now, there's a good chance Ace will accuse you of adopting him and his brother out of pity or something along those lines yoi."

"Agreed."

After several moments of silence, Marco ventured, "What happened to their father yoi?"

"I don't have a clue. We fell out of contact with each other when our lives became too busy. Roger was a working parent and I blindly threw myself into building my fortune. These things happen, but I wish I had gotten back into touch with him. Maybe things would have been different for those boys."

"Hmm, who can really say? Didn't that Dadan lady say anything about what happened to their parents?"

"No, she didn't. She kindly, and I use that term loosely, informed me that it's private information and was unable to give me specific details. However, Dadan did assure me that there is no chance Ace and Luffy's parents will come forward to reclaim them."

"You think they died yoi?"

When he closed his eyes the image of a lively Roger, an enormous smile hidden beneath a curling mustache, whimsically laughing at life floated to the surface. It was hard to believe that Roger had died. Yet, it was even harder to visualize Roger walking out on his two kids.

He recalled what Roger said to him all those years ago, _"Newgate, I'm so happy to be a father."_

"I cannot speak for his wife, I only met her face to face once or twice, but I do know that Roger is not—wasn't—the kind of man to walk out on his kids. So, yes, I'd assume their father is no longer among the living," he finished with a heavy sigh.

"At least they have each other and, because you're adopting them both, Ace and Luffy don't have to worry about being taken from each other yoi," Marco said, trying to cheer up his father.

"That is true. Well, it won't be official until everything has been sorted out and signed," he patted the folders in his lap. Newgate grinned. "There's so much to do, but in the end, it will all be worth it."

Marco mirrored his father's grin. It faltered, however, when the mention of paperwork jogged his memory. "By the way, Pops. While you were in there speaking with Dadan, Thatch called. Apparently, _she_ called again for you."

Yellow eyes filled with anger as he growled out to Marco, "Damn that _woman_. Thatch hung up on her, right?"

"Naturally. This is the fourth time in the last month, Pops. I don't think she's getting the message yoi."

Newgate grumbled. "I'll have to think of something. Soon. I'd like to keep this between us, but I've got a feeling that once word gets out I've finally adopted, she will likely try to make a scene. I wish I had never met that awful woman."

"You and me both yoi," Marco echoed his father's sentiments thoroughly. Ever since it went public that the wealthy Edward Newgate was looking to adopt, that repulsive woman had become the bane of his Pops' existence. Marco's hand unconsciously tightened on the wheel.

Seeing his assistant grow agitated, Newgate reached over to pat Marco's shoulder. "Let us worry about that nasty topic another time, alright? The boys' case worker is dropping by the house later today to make sure it's a suitable environment for the boys. Which means I want everyone on their best behavior and to make sure the house is presentable for when she comes."

It worked. Marco smirked, putting all thoughts of that horrendous _woman_ aside. "Already taken care of yoi. I sent Izo a text, giving him a heads up and he assured me everything will be in order by the time the social worker arrives. Izo also told me he's roped Blenheim, Fossa, Kingdew, Curiel, and Atmos into converting two of the upstairs guest rooms for the boys."

"Gurarara, always on top of things aren't you, Marco?"

"Always, Pops."

Throughout the rest of their drive home, the pair discussed how much all their lives were going to change with the addition of Ace and Luffy into their household. So much still had to be done, but it was matter of taking it one day at a time.

 _ **-xxx-**_

Later that night, Ace lay in bed and stared up at his ceiling unable to fall asleep as his thoughts continued to swirl around in his head. He grunted, rolling over onto his side. Reflexively he reached out to run his fingers through Luffy's hair only to have his hand meet an empty pillow. For the first time since they had been dropped off here, he and Luffy weren't sharing a bed. It was… strange, to say the least.

After Makino, his and Luffy's social worker, called Dadan to tell her she found Mr. Newgate's home suitable for them to live in, it was announced to the rest of the kids that they'd been adopted. Tomorrow afternoon, Makino would pick them up to drive him and Luffy to their new home. While everyone congratulated the two of them on being adopted—though, Ace had waved them off by saying they'd probably be sent back soon—Usopp had been the most vocal in his cheers, until his cheers turned into shaking sobs. Naturally, it got Luffy crying. Since they were leaving tomorrow, Luffy decided that just for one night he'd share a bed with Usopp.

Ace didn't mind when Luffy asked him about it.

However, he mentally made a bet with himself that Luffy wouldn't last the entire night sleeping away from Ace. Sure enough, come midnight, Ace felt Luffy clamber up onto the bed.

Ace chuckled softly.

"S-shut up, Ace. Usopp's nose kept poking me," Luffy grumbled, curling into his brother's familiar warmth.

Ace grinned in the dark. He really wished he could have seen that.

"Ace?"

"What's up, Lu?"

Luffy hesitated before asking, "Are you nervous?"

"Maybe. But just a little bit, you know?"

"Mhm. Are you happy?"

"I don't know."

He felt Luffy shift around until they were face to face. Ace just barely could make out the frown on his little brother's face. "You don't know? Why's that?"

"Luffy, listen to me. I'll admit it makes me a little happy, but a bigger part of me believes Mr. Newgate will just abandon us." _'Just like dad did,'_ he mentally added, jaw going rigid at the thought.

"Oh," Luffy grew quiet. Then Ace felt Luffy's tiny hand on his face, lightly petting his cheek and that put a smile on his face. "He might not, Ace. Let's just see 'cause I'm happy. I'm so happy we're gonna be adopted together."

"I know you are, Luffy. I'm just worried is all," he murmured.

"Don't be. We're gonna be together, Ace."

Ace swallowed a lump in his throat, but nodded at Luffy's words. "Yeah. Let's try to get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Luffy hugged Ace before rolling over and quickly falling asleep. Ace, however, remained wide awake as his stomach twisted and turned with worry.

 _ **-to be continued-**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Whew, another long one! I hope you guys enjoy it, thanks for reading and your reviews!**

Chapter 3

The next day, right around noon, a smiling Makino showed up at Dadan's to pick the boys up and drive them over to their new home. As per usual whenever Makino dropped in to check up on them, Luffy hurled himself into her arms to give her a hug. This time around, however, Luffy sobbed into her neck while everyone else watched on.

"What's wrong, Luffy? Aren't you happy about going to your new home?" Makino asked, gently patting his back to comfort him.

"Mhm! I'm happy, but I'm sad too, Makino. W-why c-c-can't M-Mr. Newgate a-adopt all of us?" Luffy blubbered between sobs.

Makino hugged him tight. "Mr. Newgate only wants to adopt you and Ace. No one can expect him to adopt everyone here, Luffy, that's not how it works. But, don't you worry, I bet Mr. Newgate won't mind it at all to set it up so that you and your friends here can visit each other."

"You think?" Luffy sniffled, wiping his eyes.

"Yep. You can ask him once we get there," Makino said, setting Luffy down.

Lips twitching, Ace watched as Luffy grinned before running over to join Usopp and the others. "Yay! We can still see each other!" His little brother exclaimed.

"Are you guys all packed?" Makino inquired, turning her attention to Luffy's older brother with a gentle smile.

Ace nodded his head.

He gestured to his and Luffy's bags where he had carelessly tossed them onto Dadan's aged, sagging couch. Makino raised an eyebrow at them. There were only three bags in total and the small amount surprised her. "Just three bags?"

"We didn't have much to pack," Ace shrugged. "Except his favorite, Luffy decided to leave the rest of his toys here for the others to have."

She smiled to hear that, touched by Luffy's generosity. Ever since he was toddler, Luffy always did have big heart when it came to such things—except when it involved sharing food or his hat. Hat? Makino glanced over at Luffy who was listening intently to another one of Usopp's outlandish stories, and suddenly realized the absence of Luffy's treasured straw hat.

"Where's your hat, Luffy?" Makino inquired. It was unusual for her not to see the well-loved hat adorning Luffy's head since the child wore it everywhere he went.

At the reminder of his missing hat, Luffy's hands flew up to touch his bare head. Then he turned to glare frostily at Dadan comfortably sitting in her overstuffed lounge chair. "She took it away as punishment."

"Don't give me that look, brat," hardly cowed by someone who barely reached her waist, Dadan returned Luffy's glare. "It's his lesson for stealing," she directed at Makino, her glare turning to a frown of annoyance.

"I'm sure they've learned their lesson, right boys?"

"Sure," Ace told her, indifferent.

"Yes, ma'am!" Luffy pouted adorably and Makino smiled at him, reaching out to pat him on the head.

She met Dadan's gaze. "Might Luffy have his hat before he leaves, Dadan?"

"Yeah, okay. Give me a sec."

While Dadan went to grab Luffy's hat from wherever she had hidden it from him, Makino had the boys carry their stuff out to her car waiting outside. Luffy lugged along his backpack, leaving Ace to haul the other two heavier bags out to Makino's car. Usopp and the others followed them outside.

"I'm gonna miss you, Luffy," Usopp mumbled, tears welling up in his eyes.

In the distance, they all thought they heard Ace mutter something about 'we'll probably be back soon,' but none of them asked him to clarify. They knew and understood how Ace felt about the whole affair. They let him be.

"Usopp… I'm gonna miss you too," Luffy also had tears in his eyes. He pulled his best friend into a bone-crushing hug. Though wheezing for air, Usopp returned Luffy's hug.

In the middle of their hug, Dadan appeared outside. Luffy's straw hat in hand. "Here's your hat, brat."

Luffy scampered over to her, all the while repeating the word 'hat' in a sing-song voice. "Thanks, Dadan! Shishishishi, I got my hat back, Ace!" Luffy shouted, pulling the hat down over his ears. Before running off to rejoin his brother, Luffy grinned up at Dadan then surprised her by wrapping his skinny arms around her legs. Dadan blushed furiously. "You're not so bad, Dadan! I'm gonna miss you. Only a little bit, though!"

"Eh?" At a loss for words, Dadan mechanically patted Luffy's back before the boy hurried away to join his brother.

From where he stood, Ace smirked at the woman. "Don't expect a hug from me, hag."

"I'm not, brat!" Dadan shouted back. Though, Ace was surprised to see tears in the corner of the woman's eyes. Just as quickly as they appeared, Dadan flicked them away. "Ace! Look after your little brother! And don't be a pain in Mr. Newgate's ass, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

After saying their goodbyes to everyone, Ace and Luffy climbed into the backseat of Makino's shiny, green car. As Makino drove away from Dadan's, Luffy waved until the house and everyone outside were long out of sight. Since Makino first brought them to Dadan's door step three years ago, Dadan's had been their home. Even though they often complained about it and fought with Dadan on a daily basis, they were going to miss it. Well, Luffy was, anyway. Ace, on the other hand, stubbornly continued to believe that they'd be sent back to Dadan's within a few days. Maybe a week, but no longer than that.

"Are you boys excited?" Makino asked from the driver's seat.

"I'm super excited!" Luffy piped up, grinning.

"Ace?"

Ace continued to gaze out at the passing scenery. He grunted in answer to her question.

Makino childishly pouted into the rearview mirror at him. "Grumpy, Ace," her face smoothed out as she went back to smiling. "I know how you feel, Ace. You're afraid."

"Am not!" He countered, glaring.

"Yes, you are. Listen to me, Ace. Mr. Newgate is a wonderful man and I believe that you and your brother are going to be so happy. He isn't going to abandon you guys like your fa—"

"Don't mention him, Makino!" Ace shouted, balling his hands into tight fists in his lap.

Luffy bit his lower lip, glancing at his brother worriedly but remained silent.

Makino bobbed her head in apology. "Forgive me, Ace. I know you don't like to talk about him and it's okay to be angry, but don't let your anger blind you to the helping hand reaching out to you. Mr. Newgate wants to be your father—"

"I don't want him to be."

"And," she continued as though she hadn't heard him, "You should give him a chance before completely writing him off. If not for your sake, then for your little brother's. Okay, Ace?"

Ace flicked his gaze over to Luffy whose big, brown eyes stared back at him full of absolute trust and love. He blushed when Luffy grabbed his hand, grinning. "Fine," Ace grunted, turning away to stare out the window again.

"Good. Everything is going to be alright, boys. Now, we're going to be there in a few minutes, so why don't we use this time to go over our manners. Try not to swear, Ace, and don't you dare ask any gross questions, Luffy. It's very rude."

"I can't ask the old man if he poops?"

"Definitely not!"

"Ehhhhh?"

 _ **-xxx-**_

Luffy's eyes became wide saucers as he stared up in awe once they pulled up to the house. Scratch that. Castle! It was a castle, like out of a fairytale, with its mesh of dark stone and wood. A grand staircase led up to a huge front porch where they were greeted by a pair of glass double doors framed in the same wood as the rest of the house. The porch, like the rest of the house, was also made of the same dark stone with wooden banisters and beams supporting the roof overhead.

To make it more magical than it already was, the house had been beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, garlands, wreaths of varying sizes, ribbons, and a large tree proudly stood in the porch's center.

Naturally, once they reached the top of the staircase, an excited Luffy broke away from their little group to admire every little thing. He especially loved gazing up at the tree wrapped in gold and silver ribbons, topped with an ornamental whale instead of the traditional angel or star. Not that it mattered to the six-year old. It was unusual and cool, so Luffy liked it and he pointed it out to Ace who, gazing around, just nodded absentmindedly.

Maybe not as excited as his younger brother, Ace was still amazed by the grandness of Newgate's home. Then, he suddenly started to feel very out of place in his secondhand clothes Dadan got from a thrift store a while back. They were noticeably worn and ill-fitting. Luffy's clothes were the same, only they were two sizes too big on his thin body. But, they were the nicest winter clothes they had and Dadan had insisted they wear them. She tried brushing out their hair in a failed attempt to make them appear more presentable, but it hadn't worked.

They appeared exactly what they were; two scruffily thin orphans in hand-me-down clothes.

Luffy, unbothered by such things, didn't care and probably would never care throughout his life. Ace, while he wasn't embarrassed per se, it did bother him, and he knew he shouldn't let it since it wasn't his fault.

"Ace! Ace! Look, we're so high up!"

Ace snapped out his musings at his brother's high-pitched shouts to see Luffy by the banisters. Way too close.

"Luffy! Get away from there. You could fall over or something," Ace stormed over to pull his little brother as far away from the handrails as possible, heart pounding in his chest. If Luffy had gotten it into his head—which he eventually would have—to climb onto the rails, he undoubtedly would have fallen over. Luffy was clumsy like that. Had been ever since he first learned to walk.

"Shishishishi! I wasn't gonna fall, Ace. I just wanted to show you that we're high up," Luffy only laughed as his brother dragged him towards the tree.

Ace's lips pressed into thin line. He didn't believe his brother and it showed.

Ignoring his brother's scowl, Luffy waved his arms at the scenery around them with a huge grin. "Ace, do we really get to live here?"

Before Ace could answer his brother, someone beat him to it.

"Gurarara, that's right, Luffy. You and your brother will be living here from now on."

They turned to see Mr. Newgate stepping out onto the porch. His assistant, Marco, a step behind him.

Holding his hat firmly to his head, Luffy ran over before Ace tried to stop him and grinned up Newgate. "Your house is amazing! It's sooooo big! Like a castle!"

Newgate laughed at that. "Thank you, Luffy. I'm glad you like it so much and I hope you two will like living here," at this, Newgate directed his gaze over at Ace who kept his distance.

"I'm sure they will once they've settled in, Mr. Newgate," Makino said, walking over to place her hands on Ace's shoulders. She gave them an encouraging squeeze. "How about we head inside out of the cold? Besides, I believe Luffy is dying to see the inside of your home, Mr. Newgate."

It was certainly an understatement. Luffy hyperactively bounced on the balls of his heels while peeking around the two men to see into the house behind them.

"Guararara, you're right, of course. Marco, would you mind bringing in their luggage?"

"It will be my pleasure yoi."

"Their bags are in the trunk of my car and it's already open," Makino told Marco who was heading in that direction. He nodded then continued his way down the stairs while Makino gently prodded Ace to get him to follow Luffy inside who ran ahead of them. Though, the smaller boy ran back to grab his brother's hand and tugged him along.

"Ace, let's go in together!"

Luffy always managed to surprise him like that. Rather than dig his heels in, Ace let his little brother lead him through the front doors where they were greeted with the sight of an enormous entrance hall. A shining chandelier, decorated with garland, hung directly over their heads.

"It's huge!" Luffy shouted, voice echoing.

Ace stared, mouth wide with awe, at their magnificent surroundings. Because there wasn't any better way to describe Newgate's dazzlingly bright and, surprisingly, warm house. It made Dadan's house look like a tiny shack or a shed in comparison.

Behind them, they heard Makino giggle at Luffy's enthusiastic demeanor as the six-year old eyeballed everything in amazement. Floor included.

"It's so shiny!" Luffy exclaimed, then hurrying off to peer at some decorative vases by the door. Like the Christmas tree's topper out front, the vases were also whale shaped. Each vase housed a plant of some sort—Luffy didn't know what—with pale, green leaves and had lights strung throughout the branches. Deciding that he liked them, Luffy gently patted one vase then hurrying off to look at something else that caught his eye.

Each time Luffy wandered off to look at something, Ace followed his brother to keep an eye on him in case Luffy got carried away and broke something. They had no way to replace it if he did. He felt his heart lodge into his throat when Luffy touched the vase, and glanced back to see if its owner was angry. Newgate showed no anger. Instead, he merely smiled as he watched Luffy run about touching various things. He probably didn't want to show his anger with Makino still around, Ace concluded.

"What do you boys think?" Mr. Newgate asked while Ace and Luffy admired a portrait of his extended family hanging above the fire place.

"It's… nice," Ace admitted without meeting the man's gaze.

"Nice?!" Luffy shrieked at his brother. "Nice?! It's way better than nice. It's amazing! And big. And shiny. And—and—and, oh, specktular!"

"It's 'spectacular,' Luffy."

"I said that! It's sp-spec-spectacular!" Luffy scrunched his face, stumbling over the unfamiliar word, eliciting a chuckle from both Makino and Mr. Newgate.

"Guararara, good to hear. I'll show you boys to kitchen now where we can have some hot chocolate and discuss some things."

Ace frowned, following Newgate. "What kind of things?"

"Kitchen! Food!" Was Luffy's instant focus and he started to drool.

"There are things we need to go over. Like your schooling, for example," Newgate explained to Ace before turning his attention onto Luffy. "There's plenty to eat if you're hungry, Luffy. My chef will be happy to make you something."

"Really?! I can't wait! I hope it's meat," Luffy threw his hands up in the air as he followed Newgate towards the kitchen.

 _ **-xxx-**_

The kitchen, like what little of the house they had already seen, was just as enormous. Ace and Luffy were one-hundred percent positive that Dadan's entire house would easily fit inside it. Not only was it big, it was also filled with expensive cooking equipment and tools that wouldn't ever be seen in Dadan's tiny kitchen. It contained all the typical things required of a kitchen. There was a refrigerator—biggest they'd ever seen, a large sink with a dishwasher beside it, one very large stovetop and oven—though, there were two ovens, and microwave. Then, there were the other things that most kitchens didn't have. At least, not in any kitchens they had ever been in.

Every inch of the place was neat and tidy. A stark contrast to what they were used to seeing in Dadan's kitchen.

A man with a pompadour hairstyle emerged from another room, probably the pantry, carrying a bag of chocolate. Seeing them, the man grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey there, kiddos. I'm Thatch and I'm the chef here. So, come to me if you're ever hungry," he held his hand out for them to shake.

Ace politely shook the man's hand while Luffy shook Thatch's hand with far more enthusiasm than need be. Which didn't bother Thatch at all. In fact, he shook Luffy's hand just as hard, though being careful not to hurt his little arm.

"Nice t'meet'cha! I'm Luffy, and this is my big brother, Ace!" He pointed to Ace pensively standing beside him. "What do ya cook, Thatchy?" Luffy asked, allowing Thatch to led him over to a counter with stools around it.

"Right now, I'll be making everyone hot chocolate," Thatch helped Luffy into one of the stools, while Ace came over to sit beside his brother. "But, I can cook pretty much anything. Why? Would you like a snack or something—"

"I want meat!"

"Meat? Hmm, I'll put together a quick snack tray with sausage and cheese. Sound good, kiddo?"

Luffy bobbed his head vigorously. "Sounds delicious! Thanks, Thatchy!"

He giggled when Thatch ruffled his hair, telling him, "No problem, kiddo."

Makino and Mr. Newgate joined them as they waited on Thatch to finish making homemade hot chocolate—because the instant stuff was crap in his opinion—and putting together a snack tray.

Fidgeting, Ace looked across Luffy at Makino and Mr. Newgate. "What'd you want to talk to us about?"

Leaning on his elbows, Newgate explained, "Makino and I discussed yours and Luffy's schooling, and we reached an agreement that you two will attend your current schools until the years is out. By adopting you two, I'm changing a lot in your lives and going to an entirely new school so soon might not be very wise. Next year school year, however, you and Luffy will be transferred into different schools. Luffy will go to Red Line Elementary and you will be starting Red Line Highschool."

"Why can't we keep going to our schools?" Luffy asked, not understanding.

"Because they are excellent schools, Luffy, and I want you two to have the best education," Newgate said.

"What about our friends?"

"You can still see your friends, but no doubt you will make new friends in your new schools."

"Oh… I hope I'll like my new school," Luffy said, trying to seem cheerful.

Ace just sighed and slouched in his seat, uncaring of his social worker's reproachful stare. The thought of going to a new school, most likely a school full of snotty rich kids he guessed, filled Ace's stomach with icy dread. Although it'd been a while since he was the new kid in school, Ace vividly remembered the stares and the whispering from the other kids. He imagined it'd be far worse at some rich school filled with spoiled rich brats.

"They are good schools, so I'm sure you will. Both of you," Newgate added, seeing Ace's dejected look.

By this point, Thatch had finished, and Marco came into join them just as the chef began pouring each of them piping cups of hot chocolate. Luffy immediately made a dive for the snack tray Thatch set down on the counter. Ace quietly scolded Luffy as the younger boy started to stuff his face, nearly eating everything on the tray by himself.

Once they were done, Makino announced that it was time for her to go.

"I'll be checking in once or twice a month to see how everything is going," Makino said, lifting Luffy up to hug him and he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Ace. Luffy. Behave and don't get into any more trouble, alright?"

"We'll try our best, Makino," Luffy grinned mischievously into her shoulder.

"Glad to hear it," she turned to Ace and he allowed her to pull him into a tight hug, blushing slightly as she did so. "Look after Luffy, alright? I'll be back to check on you two in a couple of weeks."

Several more drawn out hugs later, Ace and Luffy stood on the front porch watching as Makino drove down the long driveway and out of sight. Afterward, chilled from the cold, they headed into the house where Thatch offered them second mugs of hot chocolate before Marco suggested touring the rest of the house then to see their new rooms. Luffy, of course, jumped at the idea. Ace agreed mostly because Luffy wanted to and to kill time rather than sit in the kitchen bored out of his mind.

 _ **-to be continued-**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Ace and Luffy were shown the entirety of the Newgate estate which housed so many rooms, hallways, staircases, and closets Ace was certain he'd get lost at least once. Luffy, no doubt, would get lost multiple times.

To which Luffy unashamedly admitted to Marco and Mr. Newgate. "Woah! This place is so big, I bet I'll get super lost!"

"It does take some getting used to," Marco told him with a lazy smile that Ace suspected was the man's general expression.

"Once you've lived here long enough," Mr. Newgate broke in, turning down yet another hallway. "I suspect you won't get lost anymore."

' _Like we'll be here long enough to get used to this place,'_ Ace thought, gazing dead ahead.

On his right, hand clutched in his big brother's, Luffy's head constantly swiveled about as he tried to take in all the sights. "I hope so," Luffy pauses long enough to say before excitedly pointing something out to Ace, who nodded in return.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a door of darkened wood.

"This is your room, Ace," Mr. Newgate said, twisting the handle and pushing open the door.

Hesitant at first, Ace just stood there openmouthed as he gazed into the bedroom. That is until Luffy gave his back a good shove and he found himself stumbling forward into the room.

"Holy shit," Ace let slip, unable to hide his surprise.

Painted dark red and gray, the room was three times the size of his and Luffy's old room back at Dadan's house. At its center was a queen-sized bed outfitted with a gray comforter set and covered with plush pillows. It even had an actual headboard! Only Dadan's bed had had a headboard. Other pieces of furniture included two nightstands on each side of the bed, a chest of drawers, a desk complete, and a pair of bookcases filled with a variety of titles.

"The closet is over there. It's a walk-in, so there's plenty of room for whatever you want to store there," Mr. Newgate pointed to a couple of doors that slid open and closed. He pointed to another corner of the room where a short hallway led to another door. "Over here is the bathroom."

"I get my own bathroom?" Ace tentatively moved towards the bathroom to peek inside. Like the room, it was painted in the same color scheme. The floors were wooden, but the counter was made from marble while the bathtub was porcelain like the toilet.

"Yep," he heard Mr. Newgate call out, sounding amused. "Your brother has his own bathroom too."

Ace's head snapped up. He suddenly noticed how quiet it had become. "Where's Luffy?" Ace asked, rushing out of the bathroom frantically.

"Marco took him down the hall to show him his room," Newgate explained.

As if on cue, they heard Luffy call out loudly, "Ace, come see my room! It's amazing!"

Not waiting for Mr. Newgate, Ace darted from the room and down the hall where he had heard Luffy's voice from. He hurried inside to find a hyperactive Luffy scrambling about a pirate themed bedroom. The room had been painted to resemble the ocean—complete with pictures of swimming sea animals. Underneath the large window was a pirate chest, painted a rustic shade of brown and a matching barrel beside it. Along the wall beside the window was a brown bookcase, smaller than the ones in Ace's rooms and filled with titles more suited towards kids Luffy's age. What really made the room was the bed, in Ace's opinion. It had been built to resemble a pirate ship—complete with a mast with a black flag and a jolly roger sewn into it.

"Look, Ace! This is so cool!" Luffy started to tug him towards his brand-new bed.

Like the flag, the comforter was black with the same jolly roger emblazoned in its center. A long shelf, closest to the wall, lined the left side of the bed-ship where a couple of stuffed animals sat. Tucked beneath the shelf were some extra pillows and a rolled-up quilt. Luffy practically squealed as he excitedly showed Ace a switch on the mast which, when flipped up, turned on a light that glowed from its top.

It was impressive, Ace grudgingly admitted as he climbed down from the bed—Luffy right behind him. Yet… Ace bit his lip, worried as he thought about Luffy sleeping by himself.

"Don't you think it's cool, Ace?" Luffy asked him, tugging on his brother's sleeves.

"It's really cool, Lu," Ace told him, rather impressed if not a bit overwhelmed by it all as well. He didn't want to think about how much it had all cost Mr. Newgate. Crouching down to Luffy's level, Ace eyed his baby brother with concern. "Luffy, do you think you'll be alright sleeping by yourself in here?"

Troubled by his brother's unexpected question, Luffy pulled the brim of his hat down over his ears. A nervous habit he picked up not long after they ended up at Dadan's. Luffy had gotten so carried away in his excitement over his new room, he hadn't given much thought to the fact he and Ace now had separate rooms.

"Um," Luffy glanced down at his feet.

"Ace, I know you two are used to sharing a room, but why don't you think your brother will be alright sleeping alone?" Newgate asked.

Directing a frown at Newgate, Ace got to his feet. "It's none of your damn business, old man," he snapped.

Marco stepped forward, his normally lazy expression twitching into a frown of his own. "There's no reason to speak to Pops that way yoi. He is yours and your brother's guardian from now on, so your wellbeing is our priority," Marco said, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, how about answering Pops instead of snapping at him, Ace."

Sensing an impending argument, Luffy jumped between the two of them and declared loudly, "I'll be fine, Ace. I really like my new room and I want sleep in it! It's the coolest room in the whole, wide world!"

Ace glared at Marco one last time before he looked at Luffy, who grinned up at him with that impossibly wide grin of his that somehow always filled Ace with warmth. Ace exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Don't worry about me, Ace," Luffy giggled. "I'll be fine!"

"If you're sure," Ace knocked back his brother's hat to ruffle his hair, causing Luffy to laugh. He always loved it with his brother did that.

Marco started to say something, but held back when Newgate stalled him with a raised hand and a simple, "Let's drop it for now, Marco."

Then Newgate shot Marco a 'give them time' look. Marco nodded.

"Pardon," Thatch called out, knocking on the open door and effectively dispelling any leftover tensions. "Just wanted to tell you guys dinner's ready."

"Already?" Marco glanced down at his watch then over towards the window. It had grown dark without any of them noticing.

Mouth beginning to water, Luffy instantly forgot about the whole room thing at Thatch's mention of dinner. "Food! I'm hungry! Hey, Thatchy, is there meat?" Luffy asked, running over to Thatch.

"Yep! Tonight's a special occasion, so I made roast beef with potatoes with the usual fixings of carrots, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms. As a treat, I made a chocolate cake for dessert—Ah! Luffy, hold on!" Before he could finish talking, Luffy raced out of the room in the direction of the kitchens. Led by his nose. Thatch rushed out after Luffy, only to have Ace zoom past him in a trail of smoke.

"Luffy! Stop running or you'll—" there was a yelp followed by the sound of crashing. "—fall."

"I'm okay!" Luffy shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

 _ **-xxx-**_

During dinner, Thatch told the boys to eat as much as they liked and to not hold back if they wanted seconds. Ace and Luffy, however, were not used to asking for seconds since the budget had always been tight at Dadan's, and had to be prompted by their new guardian to ask for more.

"Gurarara, there's plenty to eat, boys," Newgate indicated the spread before them.

Thatch bobbed his head in agreement, his pompadour bouncing comically as he did. "Pops is right, Ace. Luffy. Eat as much as you like, just don't overeat though."

Ace and Luffy shared a glance, shrugged, then requested seconds which Thatch happily supplied. "Is everything good?" He asked, setting Luffy's second plate down in front of him.

"Mhmm!" Luffy exclaimed around a mouthful of beef.

Ace smiled cheekily at Luffy. "It sure beats Dadan's cooking any day."

"It wasn't all bad. Ooooh, I really liked it when she made Hamburger Helper. Yummy!"

Thatch let out a squeak and put his hands to his mouth. His face the picture of horror. "Hamburger Helper!" Thatch scoffed.

Marco and Newgate shared a knowing look which went over the boys' heads.

Thatch leaned forward to take up one of Ace and Luffy's hands into his own, giving them a squeeze. "I swear on my life you won't ever have to eat that stuff again while in this house."

"What's wrong with it?" Luffy asked Thatch, head tilting to one side. Ace raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't care.

"What's wrong with it?" Thatch repeated. He patted the top of Luffy's bare head. His hat, as per table manners, hung behind his chair. "It's, how to put this, um, it's what I like to call fake food in a box."

"Oh, well, it tastes yummy to me!" Luffy rubbed his stomach for added effect.

"Yeah, just wait until I make it homemade with fresh ingredients. You won't want to go back to eating that box crap."

"It tastes even better?"

"Way better, kid," Thatch winked at him. Then laughed when Luffy demanded he make his version for dinner tomorrow. "Haha, sure thing, Luffy!"

As he chomped down on a forkful of vegetables, Luffy peered into Thatch's face and noticed the curved scar around his left eye. Luffy pointed out, "You've got a scar like me!"

Everyone, minus Luffy, noticed how Ace tensed in his seat at Luffy's statement.

"You're right! While a young chef, just starting out, I was goofing off and forgot I had a knife in my hand. Next thing I know," Thatch made a cutting motion against his face. "I cut myself. I learned my lesson after that, huh! So, how'd you get yours?"

Luffy puffed his cheeks out and put his hands on his hips as he flat out said, "I stabbed myself."

Thatch and Marco's eyes went wide. Newgate, on the other hand, frowned as he asked, "Why is that, Luffy?"

Ace's dropped his balled fists into his lap.

"Because, I wanted to prove I was brave!"

"An older kid named Lucci told Luffy he was a wimp and a crybaby, so Luffy decided to prove he wasn't by stabbing himself in the face with a knife he swiped from the kitchen," Ace clarified through a clenched jaw. Remembering the events of what happened always made him angry. "Even though he was a couple of years older than me, I still kicked his ass."

"You broke his arm, Ace."

"So? Lucci deserved it after what he said to you. I'd do it again," and he would too. "Lucci was a prick who had a mile long stick up his sorry ass."

"This happened while you were in Dadan's care? How old were you yoi?"

"Yeah. After that, Lucci was moved to another home. No big loss there since everyone, even Dadan, was happy to see him go. Luffy was four, almost five and I just turned twelve, I think," Ace shrugged. Noticing their stares, he frowned at them. "What?"

"How old was this Lucci kid?" Thatch asked, curious to know.

"Fifteen," Ace supplied.

"And you, a then twelve-year old, broke his arm?" Ace just shrugged at Thatch.

"He used a metal pipe!" Luffy added around another large mouthful.

The three men all turned to stare at Ace who defiantly glowered back at them. He sure as shit wasn't the tiniest bit sorry for breaking Lucci's arm that day. Lucci deserved it after filling his little brother's head with all that crap, causing Luffy to think such things.

"I'm done," Ace announced, standing up from the table with his plate in hand to carry into the kitchen. But, when Thatch tells him not to worry about it, Ace set the plate back down and turned to his little brother. "Luffy, do you want to bathe with me before bed?"

"Mh-hm!" Luffy swallowed his last bite before nodding his head vigorously. Grabbing his treasured hat, Luffy got up to follow Ace out of the dining room while throwing, "Thank you for dinner, Thatchy! It was the yummiest ever!" over his shoulder.

 _ **-xxx-**_

Later, once Ace and Luffy were sound asleep in their new beds, Edward Newgate joined Marco and Thatch in the kitchen to help them clean up after dinner.

"Are they asleep yoi?" Drying a plate before putting it up, Marco turned towards his father figure.

"Yes, they're snoozing away like a couple of hibernating bears, guarara," Newgate rumbled.

Thatch shook his head, his expression amused. "Man, that Ace sure is a fireball and Luffy is the cutest kid ever."

"You've already grown fond of them, Thatch?" Newgate asked and Thatch nodded his head, smiling. "I'm glad. Marco?"

"Same here, Pops. They're a bit rough around the edges, especially Ace, but weren't we all yoi?"

"Maybe you were, Marco," Thatch teased, reaching out to ruffle the fringe of Marco's hair only to have his hand pushed away. "Anyway, considering where they're coming from, it's not shocking those two are the way they are. However, all I think those two need is a little love and care. I've got high hopes that the welcoming party we're throwing tomorrow for them will be a good start."

"I hope so as well," Newgate said, putting away dishes musingly. "This party is also a great way for the boys to meet the rest of our family."

"I know everyone else is dying to meet them yoi. All of them are coming, Pops. We're still taking Ace and Luffy out tomorrow while the party is being set up yoi?"

"Indeed. I was thinking while we were out, we'll take the Ace and Luffy to get some new clothes. Makino mentioned that those two only have a handful of outfits and you must have noticed their clothes don't fit very well," Newgate crossed his arms over his chest thoughtfully.

Marco and Thatch nodded their heads in unison, though it was Marco who spoke up.

"Good idea, Pops. We'll spend the day shopping and by the time we get back, you guys," he pointed to Thatch. "Should be finished setting up by then, right?"

"With Izo running the show? Pft, we'll be done in no time."

"Are you seriously going to make homemade hamburger helper tomorrow yoi?" Marco had to ask, watching Thatch put away the last of the dishes before pulling down a recipe book. Followed by three more recipe books.

"If that's what Luffy wants," Thatch told him without glancing up from his books. "Since it's mostly for Luffy, I'm only going to make a small amount while the main course will be glazed swordfish with a cream sauce, a side of grilled vegetables and fresh baked rolls. There will be appetizers, of course, as well as dessert. Chocolate covered strawberries, a fruit tart and cookies, because I know kids love cookies."

Clapping his chef on the shoulder, Newgate nodded approvingly at Thatch's choices for tomorrow. "I'll leave you to your planning. Goodnight, Thatch."

"Goodnight, Pops. You heading to bed too, Marco?"

Marco nodded, smothering a yawn as he did so. It had been a long day and tomorrow, he knew without a doubt, was going to be another long one. "Yep. Night, Thatch. Be sure to get some sleep too yoi."

Thatch acknowledged his brother's words with a grunt. Once they left, he returned to flipping through his recipe books and writing out a plan for tomorrow's party. Everything had to be perfect.

 _ **-xxx-**_

It started how it always started: with a hissing sound and a tingling sensation that took over his whole body. Then came those cold, cold dreadful hands. They gripped and grasped at his limbs until they reached his neck where he felt them close around his throat. Tight.

Unable to move or speak or scream, Luffy gasped. The hands pressed tighter against his throat.

His heart pounded in his chest as he watched, helpless, as the rest of the woman emerged from the shadows to crouch on his chest. Her feet dug into his chest, and Luffy panicked as he gasped for air.

From her perch on his chest, the woman leaned forward to whisper in a hissing voice, "It's your fault I died. It's your fault. Your fault."

Luffy cried out in his mind, _'Ace! Ace! Ace! She's back! Ace, help me! ACE!'_

Then Luffy could blink. As quickly as she came, the horrific woman was gone.

And Luffy was able to breathe again.

His body jerked as he started to take in huge gulps of air. A sheen of sweat on his face, Luffy clambered to get out of bed, meaning to run straight to the safety of his big brother's bed, only to stop himself. Luffy bit his lip. No. No. No. He'd told Ace he'd be fine sleeping alone. He couldn't go back on his word after assuring Ace he'd be fine with it.

The small boy closed his eyes, deciding not to bother his big brother.

"It's only a nightmare," Luffy chanted, voice soft as he lay back down in his new bed. He grabbed his hat from the shelf beside him and held it to his chest, hand gripping its brim. "It's just a bad dream. It's not real. It's not real."

Luffy remained that way until, unable to hold his eyes open any longer, he fell into a fitful sleep where the face of a mother he had never known haunted his dreams.

 _ **-to be continued-**_

Thank you for your reviews! I'm SUPER pleased people like this story so far.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Morning you two," Thatch greeted Ace and Luffy as they sleepily entered the kitchen, rubbing their eyes. He waved a spatula at them before turning back towards the stove. "Looks like you guys found the kitchen alright. How about some waffles?"

"Sounds yummy!" Luffy shouted, scrambling up into a stool with Ace's help. After he helped his brother up, Ace settled into the stool on Luffy's right.

"That's fine with me," he tells Thatch.

"Okay then! Two orders of waffles coming right up!" He opened the fridge and started to dig about inside, calling over his shoulder, "What'd you guys want on your waffles? Blueberries? Strawberries? Bananas? Raspberries or blackberries?"

Presented with so many delicious sounding choices, Luffy tugged his cheeks in indecision. "All of it sounds so yummy! Can't I have all of it?"

Thatch laughed as he started to set out containers of fruit on the counter. "Can't make up your mind? How about this then, you choose three different fruits for your waffle instead of having all of them? Which fruits do you like the most, Luffy?"

"All of them!" Was Luffy's quick reply. Then he laughed, saying, "But, I really like blueberries, strawberries and bananas a lot more."

"Okay, that's one waffle with blueberries, strawberries and banana for Luffy," Thatch said, making a show of writing it down with invisible pen and paper. Luffy giggled in his seat. Thatch turned to Ace next. "How about you, kiddo?"

"Just butter and syrup is fine," Ace shrugged a shoulder, unaccustomed to being presented with so many options. Rarely Dadan had cooked an all-out breakfast for them. Usually, their breakfasts consisted of food items that could be quickly made like frozen waffles and pancakes, toast, oatmeal, grits, and cereal. Unless it was some special occasion—or Dadan just wanted to prove a point—very little preparation had gone into making breakfast. Dinner was when Dadan had put some actual effort into her cooking.

"Tch, you need some fruit too," Thatch waved a disapproving finger in Ace's direction. "I won't back down on this, kiddo, so you might as well pick some kind of fruit at least. It doesn't have to be three."

"Fine. Blueberries and strawberries," Ace finally caved much to Thatch's delight.

"Excellent choice," the chef grinned. Just as he started to mix the waffle batter, Newgate came into the kitchen wearing a black and silver set of pajamas and a black bathrobe. Thatch glanced up momentarily from his task to greet his father figure. "Morning, Pops. Waffles?"

"Guarara, good morning, Thatch, and yes, I'd like some waffles," Newgate returned his chef's greeting as he sat down in the stool beside Ace. Both he and Thatch noticed how Ace squirmed, scooting his stool closer to Luffy's. Neither man commented on Ace's actions, coming to the assumption that Ace, unlike Luffy, remained deeply wary of them.

Rather than dwell on the thought, Newgate turned, grinning at the boys, as he asked them, "Morning, kiddos. Did you sleep well last night? Were you comfortable enough in your new beds?"

"I guess," was Ace's closed off answer.

Luffy, on the other hand, replied with a much more open answer. "Mornin' Mr. Newgate! Uh-huh, I slept well, though it's kinda weird sleepin' in a room all by myself. Shishishi, I woke up a couple of times and didn't know where I was! But, then I remembered, and I went right back to sleep! My new bed is so comfy! Isn't your bed comfy too, Ace?" He turned wide eyes to his big brother.

"Uh, yeah, it's comfy, Lu."

Newgate chuckled at Luffy's exuberance. "Gurarara, I'm happy your beds are to your liking. Oh, and Luffy?"

Head cocked to one side, Luffy turned those bright, brown eyes onto Newgate. "What?"

"There's no need to be so formal with me."

"Eh?"

"What I mean is, you don't have to address me as 'Mr. Newgate.'"

Luffy's head cocked even further to side. "I don't?"

"No, you don't," Newgate replied, smiling fondly at the adorable sight.

"Yeah, why not call him 'Pops' like the rest of us?" Thatch good-naturedly suggested.

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say because Ace's face promptly wrinkled into a glowering scowl. "Why should we call him that? He's not our dad."

"Well, ah, um, I mean, Pops did kind of adopt you guys, s-so that technically makes him your dad, kid," Thatch sputtered nervously beneath Ace's glare. Fuck, and he thought Marco's glare was frightening? Ace's glare was a million times worse!

"So what?!" Ace heatedly slammed his fist onto the tabletop, causing Luffy to flinch a bit. "That doesn't make him our father!"

"Ace…" Luffy reached out to his brother, voice quiet.

Newgate raised a hand, cutting off any further outbursts from either Ace or Thatch. "Thatch, it's fine," he told his chef then turned to Ace, who blatantly refused to meet his gaze. "It's alright if you don't want to call me 'Pops,' Ace. I understand. We're still strangers to each other, after all. You and Luffy can call me whatever you're most comfortable with, alright?"

Mutedly, Ace just nods then pulled Luffy into an apologetic hug. He didn't mean to frighten his little brother like that. Luffy only grinned in forgiveness as he pressed his head into Ace's comforting chest.

This is the scene that Marco is greeted to when he walks into the kitchen, a rolled-up newspaper in hand. He raised an eyebrow and started to ask, but Thatch subtly shook his head at Marco. Getting the message, Marco doesn't ask. Instead, he cheerily greeted everyone as if he didn't notice the tension in the air.

"Good morning, everyone," he grinned, ruffling Luffy's hair as he passes by on his way towards Newgate's chair. The grin faded as he sets the newspaper down in front of the older man. "You're not going to be happy about this, Pops," Marco warned, pointing to an article on the front page.

Newgate's eyes narrowed into angry slits. "How did the newspaper get a hold of their picture?"

"What's going on?" Thatch asked curiously while placing Ace and Luffy's waffles in front of them.

Distracted by his breakfast, Luffy tuned the adults out as he started to dig in with vigor. Ace, however, was not so easily distracted. He found himself curious to know what had Marco and Newgate upset, but refused to ask. He listened in on their conversation instead while nibbling at his waffle.

"The newspaper printed a picture of the boys yoi," Marco told Thatch. Everyone, excluding a distracted Luffy, picked up on the displeasure in his voice.

"What's the big deal?" Ace let slip the question without meaning to.

"It's a big deal because the newspaper shouldn't have access to any pictures of you boys. It's done to protect your identities since you're both minors," Newgate explained, a troubled expression on his face. "They've even printed Ace and Luffy's names. This is a huge violation, Marco."

"Way huge," Thatch mutters, taking the newspaper so that he could read it over. He quickly throws it down, however, when Marco kindly informs the chef he's burning Pops's waffle. "Shit!" Then, as an afterthought, he added over his shoulder, "Don't repeat that, Luffy!"

"I've already contacted Dadan. She assured me she didn't provide the paper with any pictures of Ace and Luffy," Marco crossed his arms over his chest, looking perplexed. "Strangely enough, I believe her yoi."

Newgate 'hmmm'd,' looking just as perplexed as his assistant. "Then someone at the agency? Miss Makino then…?"

Luffy's head shot up at that. "Makino isn't bad!" He defended, his chin and cheeks covered with bits of waffle, fruit, whipped cream and syrup. "Makino is super nice!"

Ace nodded in agreement with his brother. "That doesn't sound like Makino at all. She takes that kind of stuff seriously."

"Maybe someone took it?" Luffy suggested around a mouthful of waffle. He swallowed before continuing. "Makino keeps pictures of us in her office at work. I know 'cause we've been there so many times."

The three men shared looks of comprehension. "That's a possibility yoi. A journalist wanting a juicer story might've bribed another social worker into stealing their picture from Makino's office. My question is who in their right mind okayed this yoi?"

"We'll find out, Marco," Newgate sighed, rubbing his temple. "Even when we do, there's nothing we can do about this," he tapped the front page of the paper with his index finger. "Now that it's been distributed for all the world to see. Marco, get in touch with Makino's agency while I handle the newspaper," his gaze softens as he glanced down at the boys seated beside him. "Since it looks like you guys are finished eating, why don't you get cleaned up and dressed? We're going out today, remember?"

"That's right! Come on, Ace!" Luffy shouted as he excitedly clambers down from his stool.

Ace followed Luffy at a more sedate pace, pausing just outside the kitchen to hear the rest of the grownups' conversation.

"This is troubling, my sons."

"Fuck. Do you think _she_ reads the paper?"

"I like to hope not, but I somehow doubt that she doesn't yoi. What do you think she'll do, Pops?"

Ace heard Newgate sigh before answering Marco. "Rant and rave over the phone or in another one of her ridiculous letters, no doubt. Dammit, I've told her hundreds of times already that it is impossible I fathered that son of hers, but she won't listen to reason and I've even offered to pay for a paternity test. Which she, of course, vehemently opposed to."

Ace's eyes widened overhearing this information. The rest of it goes unheard as Ace realized he needed to catch up to Luffy before his little brother did something stupid like fall down the stairs. Again. Or, worse, fall over the bannister. As he rushed to catch up with Luffy, who he could hear singing a Christmas carol ahead, Ace filed away the conversation he had just overheard.

 _ **-xxx-**_

"So, what would you boys like for Christmas?" Newgate asked from the front seat of the car. "It's three weeks away, you know."

Marco was behind the wheel, driving.

They had just finished their seven-hour shopping trip and were on their way back to the house; the trunk of the car filled to its capacity with dozens of bags containing Ace and Luffy's brand new clothes. They visited several stores throughout their shopping trip with Newgate making purchases in each store they stopped in. By the time they reached the last store, Luffy was so tired out Ace offered him a piggyback ride—even though he himself was exhausted too. Both Marco and Newgate offered to carry Luffy, but Ace stubbornly refused their offer.

Now, slumped in the back seat of the car, Ace almost wished he had let them hold Luffy. Almost. He was just glad he didn't have one of his so called 'nap-attacks' while carrying Luffy. If Newgate hadn't reminded Ace to take his meds before they left, it would've happened.

"I don't really want anything. The new clothes are enough, thanks," Ace responded.

"I'm sure there's something you want Santa to bring you, Ace."

Ace rolled his eyes. Didn't this old man realize he was too old to still be believing in Santa Claus? Still, he figured he'd just humor the old man. "A hat."

"A hat? What kind of hat?" Newgate quirked an eyebrow at Ace's reply. He hadn't been expecting that answer.

Ace looked back out the window at the darkening sky. "An orange cowboy hat. I saw it in some store two years back and wanted it."

From where he lay curled up with his head in Ace's lap, Luffy sleepily added. "I tried to buy it, but didn't have enough money, so I asked Santa to bring it to Ace. Santa didn't bring it though. Ace said it's 'cause Santa only brings kids toys not clothes."

"I think you have to write Mrs. Claus for that kind of stuff yoi," Marco rushed out.

Ace frowned, but Luffy enthusiastically sat up as he said, "Really?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Claus, from what I've heard, makes clothes to send out to all the kids who ask for them yoi."

"Wow! I never thought of that! I'm gonna write Mrs. Claus too so that she'll send that hat to Ace!"

God, his brother was way too gullible. Ace said nothing as he smiled into the palm of his hand.

"What are you going to ask Santa to bring you, Luffy?" Newgate asked, smiling at Luffy in the rearview mirror.

"I'm not asking for nothing this year," Luffy told him, grinning wide. "You know why?"

"No, why?"

"Because I already got my Christmas wish. I always wish for me and Ace to be adopted together, and we were, so I don't have anything to wish for, shishishishi."

Marco honest to God thought he was going to crash after Luffy told them his heartbreakingly adorable wish. It felt like a diabetic loaded punch to the gut it was so cute. Judging from the look on Newgate's face, it appeared as though his Pops felt the same exact way.

"I bet Santa Claus will bring you a surprise present then, Luffy." Newgate said thoughtfully. Marco silently agreed beside him.

"Shishishi, that'd be cool, but I'd be just as happy if Santa brought Ace that hat."

"I see. Do you remember the name of the store that carried the hat?" Newgate asked them.

"Nope! I don't remember," Luffy said with a shake of his head.

"Criminal Fashion, I think was the store's name," Ace answered, guessing what Newgate intended to do. _'And good luck with that. They don't carry it anymore,'_ Ace mentally added.

Some time later they pulled up to the house where a woman—no, a man dressed like a woman-waited for them at the bottom of the staircase. He made straight for their door to let him and Luffy out.

"Hi! I'm Luffy. Who're you?" Luffy immediately jumped to questioning the man. "I like your dress, lady."

Ace was quick to apologize, but the man only waved his apologies away. "No worries. I'm a man, Luffy, and my name is Izo. Also, this is not a dress but a kimono."

"Oh. You look like a girl though, why?" Luffy blinked at Izo's pale blue kimono curiously.

"Because I like to dress up like a girl is all. Is that weird?"

Luffy shook his head, grinning. "Nope, shishishishi!"

Izo smiled, happy before turning his attention to Ace whose only reaction to him was a raised eyebrow. Other than that, Ace didn't comment on Izo's choice of attire. "You must be Ace then?" Izo held his hand out for Ace to shake.

He warily did so, then drew back again.

"I'm glad to finally meet you two. Come on, there's a big surprise waiting for you two inside," next thing Ace knew, Izo had lifted Luffy up to carry him on his hip and started up the stairs.

"Hey, you! Oi!" Ace shouted angrily, chasing after Izo.

"Izo! Wait a minute, mind helping us with these bags yoi?" Marco called out from down below them.

As if they had been summoned, three more men came outside and started down the stairs. Like Newgate, all three of them were extremely tall with bulking muscles. They either winked or smiled at the boys as they passed them on the stairs on their way to help Marco bring in their new clothes.

With that taken care of, Izo continued his way into the house. Newgate right behind the trio.

"Brrrr, it sure is cold outside tonight," Izo commented offhandedly as he brought the boys inside where it was nice and warm.

Once inside, they were greeted with loud shouts of, "Surprise!" Delighted, Luffy giggled in Izo's arms while Ace took a reflexive step back. A gentle hand, Negate's most likely, nudged him forward and Ace mechanically followed Izo and his brother towards the crowd of strangers waiting to receive them. Izo pointed out an enormous banner hanging above the entrance hall that read in blue lettering, "Welcome to the Family, Ace and Luffy!"

Luffy shouted the word "cool" at everything Izo pointed out to them. At some point, Luffy scrambled out of Izo's hold to join his awestruck brother as they were introduced to everyone. Except for Thatch since they already knew him.

"This is Blenheim, Fossa, Kingdew, and Jozu," Izo, noticing Fossa's cigar he was about to light up, reached over to snatch it from between the man's lips. "No smoking around the boys, Fossa."

Fossa's shoulders slumped. "Sorry, Izo," he apologized, tucking away his lighter. Then he and the other three men turned their attention to Ace and Luffy. "It's great to finally meet you boys," Fossa told them. "How do you like living here so far?"

"It's super big! And my room is super awesome!" Luffy replied in an excited tone. "I like it so far," Luffy glances up at his brother. "I think Ace likes it so far, too."

"That's good to hear because you know, we're the ones who put your rooms together," Blenheim said, looking rather proud of this statement.

Izo cleared his throat.

"Ah, Izo designed them though," Blenheim quickly added and Izo's lips perked into a pleased, dainty smile.

Afterward, the crossdresser led Ace and Luffy over to two more people whose names they learned were Vista and Haruta. Of everyone they had met so far, Haruta was the closest in size to them while Vista was just as gigantic as everyone else. Haruta, the boys were warned by Izo, was known for playing pranks with Thatch. From Vista and Haruta, Izo steered them towards another group of men who had been chatting with Thatch when they approached. Spotting the chef, Luffy hurried over to wrap his skinny arms around the man's legs much to Ace's dislike. They might know Thatch, but the guy was still a total stranger in Ace's eyes. Pulling Luffy off Thatch, Ace quietly scolded his little brother.

Thatch, playing innocent, pretended he didn't notice as he asked the boys how their day went. Luffy quickly filled the gathered group in on how much fun they had shopping with Marco and Newgate. When he finished, and everyone was still laughing at Luffy's story of how he apologized to a mannequin for knocking it over, Thatch took it upon himself to introduce his brothers to Ace and Luffy.

"This is Curiel, Namur, Rakuyo, Blamenco, and Jiru."

Having gotten over his initial shock, Ace couldn't help but ask, "You call the old man 'Pops,' why? Did he adopt all of you or something?"

"Eh, you could say that Pops adopted us," Thatch explained, scratching the side of his face. "It's not like you and Luffy since Pops isn't our legal guardian. We call him Pops because it makes us happy and because we owe him so much."

At this, Thatch and Newgate share a smile.

"Why's that?" Ace questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Before we met Pops, none of us were in a good place in our lives, Ace. I was an out of work chef. No home. No job. Nothing. Then I met Pops one day. When he found out what I did for a living, he offered me a job as his chef and I've been working for him ever since."

"Thatch yoi, I don't think the boys want to hear any of our sob stories."

Everyone glanced up at Marco's statement. He joined the group, ruffling Luffy's exposed hair and almost did the same to Ace, but the older boy snatched his head back. "Have they been introduced to everyone?" Marco inquired, glancing between Izo and Thatch.

Both men nodded, counting all the people they introduced to the boys. "Yep!" They chorused, mock saluting Marco.

Marco snorted at his brothers antics, then just sighed and nodded his head. "Good. How about we eat now yoi? Everyone's probably ready to eat," he glanced down at Luffy, noting the boy's drool at the mention of food. "Luffy's definitely hungry yoi."

Everyone laughed. Even Ace cracked a small grin at his brother.

"Alright then! Let's eat, everyone!" Thatch announced before shepherding his extended family into a brightly lit dining room. It was the largest dining room Ace and Luffy had ever seen in their entire lives. The table had plenty of room to sit everyone, including their newest additions. Ace and Luffy, side by side, sat to the left of their new guardian and with Marco on Newgate's right. Thatch clapped his hands and, grinning, told Ace and Luffy to help themselves first. Once their plates were filled, everyone else started filling their own plates.

 _ **-xxx-**_

When dinner was over, and everyone had eaten their fill, Ace and Luffy were shown into the living room—which had been closed off to them earlier. The brothers stared, mouths agape, at a sizable pile of presents stacked on and around the table.

"These are for us?" Luffy gaped, craning his head around to peer up at Newgate.

"Guarara, that they are, kiddo."

Ace felt a blush creep across his face, which he tried to smother as he spoke. "You didn't have to…"

"We wanted to, Ace," Jiru said in a nasally voice, grinning.

Ace's blush deepened, and he dropped his gaze to the floor. He looked up, however, when Luffy slipped his smaller hand into his. "What's in 'em?" Luffy asked, pulling his brother down to the floor as he investigated the nearest present. A box wrapped in green paper.

"You've gotta open them to find out," Curiel piped up, grabbing the box Luffy was inspecting. "This one's for both of you from me."

Luffy immediately set to tearing off the paper, prompting his older brother to chip in, and together they opened the box to reveal the newest game system. Curiel handed over several smaller individually wrapped packages that turned out to be video games. "I wasn't sure what kind of games you guys were into, so I just grabbed an assortment of them. Hope you like them, boys."

Remembering their manners from Makino, they thanked Curiel who ducked his head, embarrassed.

One after another, Ace and Luffy opened their gifts until there wasn't anything left to open. It took an hour to open everything and by the end of it all Luffy had clocked out, snuggling the reindeer plush Izo had handmade for him. Not a moment after his brother fell asleep, Ace also dozed off, curling himself around Luffy.

"I'm surprised Ace fell asleep while surrounded by so many people," Thatch quietly commented, crouching down beside the sleeping brothers. He ran a gentle hand through Ace's dark locks before doing the same to Luffy's hair. Noticing the cord of Luffy's hat around the boy's neck, Thatch gently removed it so that it wouldn't choke Luffy.

"They've had a long day today yoi," Marco points out, also crouched beside Thatch. "Want to help me get them in bed yoi?" Several other hands shot up to volunteer. There was a collective groan as Marco said, "I only asked Thatch yoi!"

"Heh," Thatch glanced over his shoulder at Pops looking a bit crestfallen. "Why not have Pops help you carry them upstairs? I need to help clean up anyway. Besides, they're his boys."

Ace grumbled in his sleep, but otherwise did not wake at Thatch's remark.

"Don't let Ace hear you say that yoi. Pops you get Ace and I'll carry Luffy, okay yoi?"

Leaving the rest of their family to start cleaning up, Marco and Pops carried their charges up to their rooms. After getting Luffy dressed and settled into bed, Marco stepped into Ace's room, finding his father kneeling beside Ace's bed. Marco leaned against the wall and watched as Edward Newgate caressed Ace's hair while talking to him in a quiet voice.

"You and your brother are safe here, Ace, I swear it. Goodnight and sweet dreams," getting to his feet, Newgate turned to see Marco casually leaning against the wall smiling at him. "I'll say goodnight to Luffy as well."

As with Ace, Newgate knelt beside Luffy's bed and gently stroked his hair and whispered the same message he had told Ace. "Sweet dreams to you too, Luffy," Newgate tucked in the blankets around Luffy and his new reindeer plush before he left, closing the door only a fraction behind him.

 _ **-xxx-**_

"THAT BASTARD! HOW DARE HE!"

A poor teacup met its untimely demise when its owner hurled it with all her might into the opposite wall.

"Mommy! What's 'sa matter?!" Screeched the woman's teenage son, scrambling from his spot on the kitchen floor.

Madame Bakkin, self-proclaimed lover of Edward Newgate, hurled the teapot next and watched as it shattered into pieces.

Her son, Weevil, crawled under the table as his mother glared down at the newspaper before her. Two grinning, black-haired boys stared back at her along with the glaring headline of, "BILLIONAIRE EDWARD NEWGATE ADOPTS OPRHANED BOYS!"

She violently raked her nails through the frontpage.

"Mommy?" Weevil hesitantly tried again. "Why're you mad? Are ya mad at me, mommy?"

Bakkin sat down in her chair heavily, purring at her son, "No, love. Come up here to Mama. Come, come sit on Mama's lap."

Weevil climbed out from under the table to settle his substantial girth into his mother's lap. She reached up to pet his mustache—dyed white and done up to perfectly match Edward Newgate's own mustache. "Look at this, love. Your father has chosen a pair of common brats to be his heirs when you are his true heir!"

Weevil slapped his hands down onto the already ruined newspaper, glare matching his mother's as he ranted, "That's not fair, Mama! They're not his sons, I'm his son. That makes me his heir, right mommy? I got the same hair to prove it!"

Bakkin rubbed her son's knee, cooing as she did so. "Yes, you are his son alright. But that bastard refuses to acknowledge the truth! Don't' worry, love, we'll get him to come to his senses."

"How you gonna do that, mommy?"

"I'll think of something, my dear. You run along now to bed while I give this matter some thought," Bakkin said, absently pressing a kiss onto her son's oversized cheek.

As her son hurried off to bed, Bakkin picked up the torn newspaper and gazed at the picture with contempt. The longer she gazed at the picture of the two grinning boys, the more the wheels in her head started to turn and she grinned maliciously as a plan started surface.

Yes, she would have Edward Newgate acknowledge 'their' son as his one, true heir.

 _ **-to be continued-**_

*drops head onto laptop* Over 4,000 words… Holy crap! I'm just glad to be done with it, lol. I bet you guys are glad too because—ta-daa! We've got our antagonists, and it's that horrible, awful Bakkin lady and her sniveling son, Weevil *gags* Man I hate them as much as I hate Blackbeard, grrrr!

Speaking of Blackbeard, since I'm only including Whitebeard's commanders and not his other subordinates—because holy hell that would've been too much to write out—Teach won't be a character in this story. He might make a cameo or not, I don't really know yet. We'll see.

Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and keep them coming!

Until chapter six,

Runa.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It's Christmas Eve at last.

The presents are neatly wrapped—Izo's handiwork—and sitting beneath the tree, waiting to be opened in the morning.

The stockings are filled to the brim with all sorts of delicious treats and goodies.

Thatch's special Santa cookies and milk have been eaten—Newgate wouldn't be at all upset if he never saw another cookie again in his life.

Everything is done and accounted for, and yet sleep eluded Edward Newgate as he lay in his enormous bed and stared up at the darkened ceiling. There's an anxious churn in his stomach that an overstuffing of Thatch's cookies cannot be blamed for entirely. Rolling onto his side, Newgate closed his eyes only to open them again and roll back over to stare blankly at the ceiling once more. His gaze flicked over to the alarm clock on his nightstand.

1:36 AM.

Edward Newgate released a frustrated sigh.

Why can't he sleep? He's far too old to have butterflies in his stomach over Christmas, isn't he? Which meant there had to be another reason. His mind wandered to his older, not-so-legally adopted sons and looked forward to seeing them all again. Even though he just saw them several hours ago. From there, Newgate's mind turned to his two adopted sons.

Ace and Luffy…

That must be it. Newgate can't sleep because it will be his first ever Christmas with Ace and Luffy. He wanted this to be a good Christmas for the boys which is why he might have gone just a little bit overboard with their gifts. But only a little teeny tiny bit.

And—What was that?

Hearing a soft noise out in the hallway, Newgate eased himself into a sitting position with his ear cocked towards his door.

 _Creak. Creak. Creak._

Sounded like a curious someone was creeping out of their room to sneak a peek at their presents downstairs. Kids will be kids after all. Newgate grinned to himself as he slipped out from beneath his covers to catch the culprit. _"Probably Luffy,"_ his mind supplied as he quietly eased his bedroom door open.

Sure enough, it was Luffy out in the hallway.

However, the six-year old didn't appear to be sneaking around at all. Instead, Newgate noticed the child pacing back and forth in front of Ace's partially open bedroom door with his plush's ear firmly clamped between his teeth and his straw hat on his head. When he caught sight of Newgate watching him, Luffy froze in place. Eyes wide and… red?

Luffy had been crying recently.

Concern flooded through him and, in two kick steps, Newgate rushed forward to kneel in front of the smaller boy. "Luffy," Edward Newgate kept his voice quiet. He didn't want to accidentally wake up Ace. "Are you alright? Why are you out in the hall and not in bed?"

Luffy sniffed, teeth clamping down harder on his toy but otherwise did not reply.

The kid's refusal to answer meant he'd have to guess what was wrong, Newgate supposed.

"Are you hurting anywhere? Does your tummy hurt? Are you hungry?"

A head shake. No.

"Alright, let's see, are you having trouble falling asleep?"

A nod. Yes.

Well, they were at least getting somewhere. "Did you have a bad dream, maybe?"

Another nod.

Gently, Newgate pulled the plush out of Luffy's mouth. "Do you want to talk about it, Luffy?"

"No," was the boy's quiet answer.

"I see," Newgate glanced between Luffy and Ace's door. "Were you going to wake Ace up?"

Luffy dug his toe in the carpet. "No, I was gonna get in bed with him 'cause being with Ace always makes me feel safe."

Hesitant at first, but slowly becoming confident, Newgate lay a hand atop Luffy's head and ruffled the sleep tousled locks as he smiled gently at Luffy. Luffy didn't flinch away from him. Happiness spread through Edward Newgate at that. "How about instead of bothering Ace, you and I head into the kitchen for some hot chocolate? Then we can sit on the couch and stare at the Christmas tree while we enjoy our cocoa. Maybe it will help you forget all about your bad dream. Does that sound good to you, Luffy?"

"Mhmh! Yeah!" Luffy eagerly bobbed his head.

"Guararara, okay. Let's go get us some cocoa."

Then, surprised by his own boldness, Newgate stood up with Luffy held securely in his arms. The small boy made a soft sound of surprise since the only person who ever picked him up these days were his older brother. Makino, too, sometimes. It felt…. Nice. Safe. Almost as if it were his papa holding him.

Luffy hugged his plush reindeer as he leaned against Newgate's broad chest, startling Newgate whose steps faltered somewhat on the stairs. The billionaire had not expected Luffy to take to being held by him at all. "Comfy?" Newgate asked, voice soft. He resumed his trek down the long, semi-darkened staircase.

"Yeah," Luffy softly admitted. He tilted his head to look up into Newgate's face. "Are you gonna make Thatch's hot chocolate?"

"No. We'll have to settle for instant cocoa since I'm rather hopeless in the kitchen, gurarara. I hope that's alright with you?"

"Shishishi, it's fine with me! I like all kinds of hot chocolate. Well, except peppermint hot chocolate. It tastes super gross to me, but I like peppermints though. I guess I don't like it mixed in with chocolate. Ah! But I love, love, love whipped cream and marshmallows in my hot chocolate! Can I have some in my cup, please?"

On that Christmas Eve night, Edward Newgate learned three extremely valuable lessons: 1) Luffy is a chatterbox once he gets going and will talk about anything under the sun, 2) one should never take their eyes off Luffy, even for a second, as the boy has a penchant for getting himself into trouble and 3) upset stomachs and hot chocolate do not go well together.

But, in the end, Newgate hardly cared as he reclined on the couch with Luffy stretched out, fast asleep, on his chest with the Christmas tree lights extending their gentle warmth over them. Shifting into a more comfortable position, Newgate closed his eyes while he rubbed soothing circles over Luffy's small back.

This is what he had been missing out on all these years.

An old friend's words of, _"I'm a father, Newgate. My life couldn't be any more complete than this,"_ stuck with him as he drifted off to sleep.

 _ **-xxx-**_

"Ace. Ace. Ace? Come on, sleepy head. Time to wake up. It's Christmas morning! Your papa is impatiently waiting—"

"Patiently! I'm _patiently_ waiting!"

Soft giggles greet his ears. "My bad. Your papa is patiently waiting for you to come see what Santa brought you last night."

Warm in his bed, Ace grinned and cracked his eyes open to see his mother's smiling face as she leaned over him. Her gentle hand in his hair.

"Merry Christmas, Ace."

"Merry Christmas, mama!" Ace leaned out of bed to wrap his arms around her neck. Then, as she drew back, he reached a hand out to touch his mother's swelling tummy. "Merry Christmas, little bro!"

"You think the baby's a boy, Ace?" His mother asked him as they walked down the hall, hand in hand. His mother's hands were always so warm.

"I do! And I'm gonna be the best big brother ever!" Ace proclaimed. "Just wait and see, mama!"

His mother laughed, bending down to plant a kiss on top of her son's head. "I'm looking forward to it, Ace. And I know you will be a wonderful big brother."

"Ace! Merry Christmas!"

"Papa!" Ace shouted, gleefully launching into his father's waiting arms.

"Hey, looky here at what Santa's brought you," his father said after squeezing his son tight.

Ace turned to look under the tree. His eyes grew wide at the sight of a brand new shiny black bicycle with a red bow tied about its handlebars. "Oh wow! My own bike!" The six-year old clambered from his father's lap to check out his new bike. "I'll call it 'Striker.' Isn't that a cool name, papa?"

"Hahaha! It's a very cool name, Ace!"

From his perch, Ace glanced at the rest of the presents. "Did Santa bring a present to my baby brother?"

His parents shared amused expressions before his mother answered, "Well, no, because your brother or sister hasn't been born yet."

"Which means, Santa won't know what to bring them just yet."

"Oh." Ace slumped.

"Ah, but that's alright. I got something real special for the baby and you'll be able to see it once your mother opens it," his father indicated a rather large box leaning against the wall behind the tree.

"It's a crib! Oh, Roger, you didn't have to get this so soon. The baby won't be here until May after all," his mother said after removing the wrapping paper, but she teared up anyway as she caressed the box.

"Well, I figured it'd take me forever to set the damn—don't repeat that, Ace—thing up, so I went ahead and bought it. I hope you like it, love."

"I do. I love it. It's perfect, Roger. Everything's perfect," rubbing her abdomen, Rouge smiled lovingly at her husband and son.

Ace grinned back.

His mother was right. Everything was, indeed, perfect and would be even more perfect once his baby brother is born.

Ace blinked. They weren't at home anymore. The Christmas tree is gone, replaced by a cold downpour and drenched gravestones. His father is there beside him gripping his small hand and Ace felt his father's trembling arms as he sobbed heavily. Blinking again, Ace's gaze zeroed in on the rain soaked gravestone ahead of him that bore his beloved mother's name; Rouge D. Gol.

Somewhere behind them, Ace could hear the faded sounds of his new baby brother's sharp cries.

Luffy…?

Ace's eyes snapped open and he shot upward from the pillows, breathing heavily as if he'd just finished running a marathon. Furiously he wiped away the lingering tears, surprised he'd been crying in his sleep. He just hoped no one had heard him. Newgate would no doubt ask, and Ace wasn't inclined to talk to him about it. Adopted parent or not. Luffy, at least, knew better than to pry. Instead his baby brother would offer him his trademark grin and bone crushing hugs. Ace pulled his knees up to rest his forehead atop them. He seriously wouldn't mind one of those hugs right now.

It's been years since he last had that dream. Not since after Ace had come to terms that his and Luffy's father wasn't ever coming back for them. Somewhat. A miniscule fraction of him carried the hope their father will one day come back to get them. But, it's only a small fraction of him and those feelings were only churned up during the holidays. Like now. It's Christmas after all. The time for miracles, right?

Ace huffed in anger, clenching his fists. Screw it. Screw that man. Screw those feelings. Roger D. Gol wasn't ever coming back. End of story. It's just him and Luffy now. Well, it'll be back to just being him and Luffy once Newgate decides he doesn't want them anymore or finds them too much to handle. Or… Ace's eyes narrowed as he recalled the conversation he overheard last week. About that kid Newgate claimed wasn't his. But, what if it was? What then? While at Dadan's, Ace had witnessed firsthand what happened when the adoptive parents are able to conceive a child of their own; they sent the poor bastard back to Dadan's. The kid had been so distraught he killed himself. A kid, a year younger than himself, took his own life rather than face an unsure future.

Not that he ever would even consider offing himself, at least Ace had Luffy and that gave him plenty of purpose to live. He made a promise to his mother he'd be the best big brother in the world and protect Luffy. If Newgate did find out that kid was his by blood and decided to toss them back into the system, then at least he and Luffy had each other. Which is fine with Ace. He had planned for them to leave once he turned eighteen anyway. It wouldn't bother him at all—not even a tiny bit—if Newgate dumped them back into Dadan's care.

Ignoring the twinge in his chest, Ace pulled off the blankets to head across the hall to Luffy's room. He's surprised his little brother hasn't gotten him out of bed yet. Christmas is Luffy's favorite holiday—next to Thanksgiving and Halloween, of course. In Luffy's room, to his horror, Ace doesn't spot Luffy. He checked the bed, throwing back the covers, before heading into the bathroom to check there too. No Luffy. Ace bit his lower lip, thinking. Luffy wouldn't have gone downstairs already without waking him up, would he?

Ace rushed downstairs where he checked the kitchen first, then the dining room, then the pantry after that and finally, Ace peeped into the living room. There he spotted his little brother curled up on Newgate's chest as the older man is stretched out on the couch with his hand wrapped around Luffy's back. For a moment, Ace sees red, but he quickly dispelled it as he shook Luffy awake.

"Luffy? What're you doing sleeping down here with… him?" Ace asked, noticing but completely ignoring a waking Newgate.

Luffy sat up rubbing his eyes as he answered. "I couldn't sleep and Mr. Newgate, he made me some hot chocolate. Then I fell asleep out here."

Pulling Luffy away from Mr. Newgate, Ace frowned into his brother's face. "You should have gotten me instead."

"We didn't want to wake you up, Ace," Newgate said, smothering a yawn. "Luffy told me he had a bad dream and I couldn't sleep anyway, so we just kept each other company for a while before we both fell asleep."

"You had a nightmare, Lu? Then you definitely should've woken me up then. Was it that really bad one again… the one where…?" Ace trailed off when he noticed Newgate listening in on their conversation.

"Yeah. But, it's fine, Ace!" Luffy impatiently assured him. The smaller boy's gaze slid past Ace to the tree, then back to Ace and he suddenly burst out, "Merry Christmas, Ace! Look, look, look! Santa came! He really came! HE BROUGHT YOU THE HAT!"

Forced to cover his ears from Luffy's excited shouts, Ace couldn't help but grin as he watched Luffy dance all over the living room with Ace's gift from Santa clutched tight to his chest. Sure enough, it was the exact same orange cowboy hat Ace had been eyeing last year. Luffy excitedly plopped it down onto Ace's head. "Wow! You look so awesome Ace! Now we've both got cool hats!"

Ace knocked back Luffy's straw hat to affectionately ruffle his little brother's hair. "Heh, I guess we do."

Without meaning to, Ace met Newgate's warm gaze only to quickly glance away, swallowing back the lump forming in his throat.

"This is from Santa to you, Luffy." Newgate told the youngest brother, effectively catching Luffy's attention.

Delight spread across Luffy's face as Newgate placed a model pirate ship painted black and red complete with its own miniature pirate figurines for Luffy to play with. Ecstatically, inspected each and every part of the ship and the figurines. "Oh wow! This is awesome!" Luffy exclaimed, fiddling with the sails. He paused, looking up at Ace. "But, I didn't ask Santa to bring me anything since I already got my wish this year super early."

Ace crouched down beside his little brother, his new hat dangling by its string down his back. "That's true, I guess, but he still needed to leave something under the tree for you," seeing Luffy's doubtful expression, Ace quickly added, "Think of it this way, Lu. Santa Claus brought you a second gift because your first Christmas wish, that we'd be adopted together, was incredibly unselfish."

"Really? He brought me this 'cause I was unshellfish?"

"Unselfish," Ace corrected his little brother, face crinkling into a smile as he laughed. "That's right, Luffy."

"How'd he know I like pirates so much 'cause I didn't tell him about it in my letter," Luffy questioned, absently playing with the pirate captain figurine between his hands. "Is it 'cause of his mystery magic?"

"Yep. He's Santa Claus, Luffy, I think he knows everything."

"Santa's so awesome!" Luffy cheered. "Ah, but not as cool as Ace 'cause Ace is the coolest ever!"

"Gurarara!" Newgate laughed.

A blush creeped across Ace's face and the pre-teen playfully shoved his younger brother. "Quit saying sappy stuff like that, Luffy."

"But, it's true!"

Ignoring his older brother's further protests, Luffy started to play with his pirate ship, effectively tuning Ace out. Seeing that his little brother was ignoring him, Ace shook his head then sat back to watch Luffy play with his 'Santa' gift. He felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning his torso, Ace glanced behind him to see Newgate grinning at him like a fool. A prideful fool. No. Like a prideful, fatherly fool.

Bristling, Ace dismissed such thoughts.

"Why're you grinning like that?" Ace asked, scowling. "It's kind of creepy, just so you know, old man."

"No reason," Newgate answered, still grinning despite Ace's scowl directed his way.

"Okay then…" Ace shook his head, then turned towards Luffy as his younger brother pulled on his arm, begging for him to play with him. As they played, Ace subtly glanced over at Newgate. The old man's eyes were closed as he leaned back into the couch, arms crossed and with what can only be described as a fond smile on his face.

 _ **-to be continued-**_

Hey guys! Happy belated Christmas and New Years! I hope everyone's new year is off to a good start. I know mine is. I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated in a while and I really wanted to, especially this chapter for Christmas. I don't know why exactly, but this chapter was a struggle to write out. It's not even that boring of a chapter either. I'd have one idea, scrape it, have another idea, only to scrape it too. I must have written and deleted and rewritten this chapter more than seven times—honestly, I lost count after the fourth delete. This is the end result, and I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys find this chapter to be worth the wait.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews!

Until chapter seven,

Runa


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